How Sweet It Is

Spice tin, ca. 1895

Spices are just some of the ingredients used in a variety of desserts. Generations have scraped and ground the expensive delicacies to add flavor.

Martha Skolfield of Brunswick bought this spice tin around 1885. Between 1885 and 1888 the Skolfield family enlarged and redecorated their home. Martha probably bought the spice set for her new kitchen, which remained unchanged for 110 years.

Her home is now called the Skolfield-Whittier House. Inside the tin box are six small tin cylinders, labeled for their contents: ginger, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.